Website Design & Development
Importance of Web design and Development
Web design and development have existed for nearly as long as websites have existed. It used to have a much simpler definition because building a website was a much simpler process. When you compare the first website, which was launched in 1991, to modern websites, you can see how far websites have progressed. Creating and maintaining a website is more complex nowadays, requiring an entire ecosystem of roles and skill sets.
It can be difficult for designers to figure out where they fit in this ecosystem. This article outlines the major aspects of the website development process, providing a clear picture of your role, the roles of others, and the skill sets required.
The process of creating a website is referred to as web design and development. It entails two major skill sets, as the name implies: web design and web development. Web design determines how a website looks and feels, whereas web development determines how it functions.
Because there isn’t always a clear distinction between the two roles, the terms are frequently used interchangeably. As the internet evolves, so do the roles.
- What exactly is web design?
- What exactly is web development?
- What is the distinction between web design and web development?
Web design is the creation of a digital product (websites and apps). It may include User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), and even Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (SEO). Overall, web design must consider a website's or app's usability, taking into account its layout (i.e., structure), visual aesthetics (e.g., colors and fonts), and, in some cases, content.
The process of creating websites and applications for the internet or intranets is known as web development (private networks). Web development as a process can include a variety of specializations, such as webserver administration, web engineering, network security configuration, and even web design. However, the term "web development" is commonly used to refer to coding or writing markups and does not always include design aspects.
To put it another way, is web design a subset of web development? Technically, yes, because web development encompasses everything that must be done to create a website or application. But, in everyday parlance, does the term "web development" imply "web design"? It frequently does not because it is a term used by professionals to describe writing code, markups, and other more back-end development-related tasks. As a result, web development and web design are sometimes perceived as distinct subjects, but this is not the case.
Before distinguishing between web design and development, keep in mind that there are three types of developers: back-end, front-end, and full-stack.
- The back-end developer is in charge of the server-side and everything that communicates between the database and the browser
- The front-end developer is in charge of the client-side of software development, focusing on how users perceive the product.
- Full-stack developers are those who can work on both the back-end and the front-end.
More often than not, the line between what is the responsibility of the web designer and what is already considered front-end development is perceived to be very thin and, in some cases, debatable.
On the one hand, designing a web application necessitates extensive user research to understand how users interact with the application and how everything should be structured with usability and visual aesthetics in mind. Front-end development, on the other hand, focuses on coding the interface and, as previously stated, developing the client-side of an application.
Simply put, web design entails tasks, skills, and tools that are more concerned with design and how the application feels and looks. Front-end development, on the other hand, is more concerned with implementing the design in the application and how well that implementation works with the back-end.
As a result, some responsibilities and abilities may overlap. For example, it is common for both front-end developers and web designers to be able to work with a similar set of tools and have a strong understanding of usability and heuristic principles. As a result, the roles of web designer and front-end developer can sometimes be filled by the same person. Furthermore, web designer jobs may include UX, UI, and Graphic Design responsibilities.